Wednesday, May 14, 2008

BALCONY DELICACIES - DÉLICES DE BALCON

Around the same time last year, I made a "Coffee Ice Cream" as accompaniment to my "Coconut Custard Squares" and arranged them prettily on a plate in order for my dessert to look "classy" (one of those days when you feel like playing around)...

Isn't it posh to enjoy some homemade afternoon delights while sitting on the balcony and facing the verdant green Salève mountain? Life can be beautiful. It doesn't always have to be insipid, ungratifying and tiring... Sometimes, you just have to know how to find pleasure in the simple things that are offered to us!

I don't remember the recipe for the "Coffee Ice Cream" I made, because I invented it and didn't take notes, but I do recall that it was made using the classic (custard) method.

Here are some recipes and links which might be useful if you want to make a "Coffee Ice Cream" like mine:

I took the "Coconut Custard Squares" recipe from Tish Boyle's great cookbook "The Good Cookie" (one of my favorite baking books).Those bars were delicious and had a wonderfully tropical flavor. The coconut custard was creamy and smooth, the crust was gorgeously buttery, tender as well as rich and the cashew chunks added an extremely pleasant crunch to that delightful goodness.

Ingredients for the "Sweet Pastry Crust":1 1/3 Cups All-purpose flour1/3 Cup Granulated sugar1/4 Tsp Salt1/2 Cup (1 stick) Cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes1 Large egg yolk2 Tsp Cold water3/4 Tsp Vanilla extractMethod for the "Sweet Pastry Crust":1. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 22cm (9-inch) square baking pan.3. Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended.4. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 6 seconds.5. In a small bowl or cup, whisk together the egg yolk, water and vanilla extract.6. With the food processor running, add the yolk mixture through the feed tube and process just until the dough begins to come together in large clumps, 15 to 20 seconds.7. Scrape the dough into prepared pan and, using your fingers, pat it evenly into the bottom of the pan.8. Bake the crust until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the topping.

Method for the "Filling" and "Topping":1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and granulated sugar until blended.2. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk.3. Whisk in the vanilla extract, rum, flour and salt.4. Sprinkle the coconut evenly over the cooled crust.5. Pour the filling through a fine sieve over the coconut, covering the crust completely.6. sprinkle the chopped cashews over the top.7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 180° C (350° F), until the filling is set and the edges are golden brown.8. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.9. Sprinkle the bars lightly with sifted confectioners' sugar.10. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares.Remarks:Use only good quality coconut milk (thickish).Instead of Dark Rum, you can use Malibu, Whisky or Cognac, but they might give a slightly different taste to the filling.Other nut can be used (macadamia, Brazil nuts, etc..).If you don't have sweetened shredded coconut, then use normal grated coconut.Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

cant decide what looks yummier, the squares or the ice cream !i tried to make my very first ice cream today. Was pretty alrite.Gonna go chk your recipe to see what i could change to make it look as gorgeous as yours.